The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-28
GHosTs on THE OCEAN.
One that Haunted the Charles and the
One that Haun5e the Homeward.

One that BaunJs I the Homeward.
From The New York s,u.
In the twenty years of my seafaring life
had two experiences with haunted ships
The term may provoke smile, but if there
are haunted houses why shouldn't there be
haunted ships. As to the question
of the supernatural, may or may
not be a believer. / will give you the Incl
dents just as they occurred, and if you can
explain everything satisfactorily to Yourself
i shall be gratifed
An English brig called the Charles. in
making her first voyage from Liverpool to
Boston, had some trouble with her crew.
and in putting it down the Captain shot a
sailor named Jack Wallace Jack lived
about an hour after being hit and he cursed
the captain high aud low, and he vowed
by all that was good that he would haunt
the brig as long as she floated I'm blessed
if he did'nebegin the haunting business that
very night, creating an alarm which made
even the first mate shake in his boots. On
getting into Boston every man but the
second mate deserted her. She loaded her
cargo, shipped another crew, and on the
way over to England Jacks ghost kicked up
such row that the men were for taking to
the boats in midocean and deserving the
brig. Every man of them mates and all,
left her at Liverpool, and it was two weeks
after she was ready to sail again, this time
for New Orleans, before she could find
crew. News of an affair of this sort gets
spread about sooner and farther than YOU
would imagine, even without the help of the
newspapers, and Jack Tar will not sail in a
haunted ship for any mans money
The brig reached New Orleans after long
passage, and she had scarcely tied to the
wharf. when everybody deserted her, the
Captain going with the rest. There was
regular stampede, and the vessel was left in
the hands of the conSigneeS at the drop of
the hat found her two weeks after this
with her load of cotton all aboard and her
sails bent for sailing. Her old crew had
talked more or less, and double wages were
being offered for a crew. First mates place
was offered me while an Englis sea Captain
had come down from New York We re-
garded the ghost business as all nonsense,
and were prepared to grapple with any
spirit or investigate any mystery. By our
own personal efforts we finally picked up
crew, getting hold of men here and there,
who had just come into port from long
voyages and had heard nothing to the briggs
prejudice We dropped down the river and
got to sea without single sailor having
heard anything and of course none of them
was looking for the mysterious. We were
we'll out to sea before night of the first day,
and when | came on deck at midnight to
stand my watch there was a steady breeze
and a moderate sea, and the captains watch
had had an easy time of it. The men of my
watch took pool at brace here and there,
and inside of quarter of ain hour all except
the lookout were slowed away here and
there to catch cat maps / was pacing the
deck with everything very quiet allow and
aloft, when my attention was attracted to
the sight of a sailor coming aft. | was Oh
the starboard quarter, and he came along
down close to the port rail, and made as if
to go TO the wheel. His footsteps gave out
no sound, and be came along with sort of
glide / never could describe. 1t was breach
of discipline for a foremost hand to appear
on the quarter deck without special errand
or without saluting, and when / saw this
man making his way along the quarter to-
ward the man at the wheel it struck me that
he was walking in his sleep. picked up
ropes end and started for him, but be glided
ahead like shadow, passed within two feet
of the man at the wheel, and went out of
sight like flash. Next instant the sailor
let go of the spokes of the wheel and stage
cred about, and the brig would have come
up into the wind had | not jumped for the
wheel. yelled out and raised an alarm,
and the men threw buoy over and we
presently stopped our way and made ready
10 lower boat. 1t was then discovered
that no one was missing. Every man aboard
of that craft was there to answer to his
name
The captain set out to give me a keel
hauling for creating such an alarm, but
took him aside, called to the sailor who had
seen all, and we told our story in way
which put the old man into pickle. While
he had to believe US, he wouldn't believe in
the supernatural, and no man could have
been more uneasy.
"Here is what saw, sir" replied the fore
mast hand when asked for his version of the
matter. II think | saw the spook before
Mr.. Temple did. l thought it was one of
the men coming back to make a report to
him, but when / saw him bear off to port,
and saw Mr.. Temple start for him, believ-
ed it was case of sleep-walking The thing
came SO close that could have touched it,
and there was smell of dead folks about it.
There was sailor look to the FACET being
youngish chap-and his two hands were
clasped on his side like this. He fetched a
sort of groan as he passed me, and he went
ground, and without a splash. This is
haunted craft, sir, and give"
''Shut upl" Missed the captain. Tell me
that again and I'll clap you in irons"
But, who was it, sir!"
''Both of You were dreaming, and if l
hear any more of it somebody will hear
from me.r
He further requested that nothing be said
to the men, and, although he tried TO make
light of the matter, | knew that he was
deeply puzzled. The sailor was as good as
his promise, and said nothing, and nothing
further happened until the third night. The
second mate, as you may know, is really in
charge of the Captains watch, and this
officer, Mr.. Graves, was on duty, and the
time was IL o'clock, with my watch all
below, when something happened. His
watch had just been trimming the yards,
and could not, therefore, be charged with
dreaming. All Of sudden figure appeared
among them. 1t was first seen at the
scuttle butt, and one of the men, who was
after a drink OF water, spoke to it under the
impression that it was one of his shipmates
Itglided away, and at the same moment
his nostrils were greeted with such an odor
that he cried out in disgust The strange
figure was seen by four men of the watch
as it glided to point few feet abaft the
foremost, and there stood for two or three
minutes with hands pressed upon its side,
and its body weaving TO and fro. A man of
the name of viii Ketch-a chap who had
never feared man or devil--called out to
the mysterious elsonage: 81
If you are playing trick on us look out
for yourset!
With that he picked up bucket, or be-
laying PIN, or weapon of some sort which
was handy by, and gave it a fling at the
figure, and the mysterious parsonage van
ished at the snap of your finger. There was
arrow which brought us all on deck, and